New training centre opens at college in Aylesbury developing green energy skills

Today (23 May), Buckinghamshire College Group has announced its opened a new training centre at its Aylesbury campus.

Students will learn how to build heat pump sources, which will be in high demand as the UK moves towards greener energy systems.

Heat pump provider, Daikin in partnership with Quantum Group, constructed the training facility.

Data provided by the college group shows that there are 3,000 qualified heat pump installers, but there is likely to be demand for 27,000 by 2028, to hit current Government targets.

Inside the new centre are five Daikin air source heat pump (ASHP) bays; one live working bay, two student installation and maintenance bays, and two fault finding bays. There are also six additional bays covering other low carbon technologies installed by Quantum Group.

Buckinghamshire College Group will use the centre as part of longer study programmes, alongside three-day commercial courses for existing gas engineers who want to retrain as heat pump specialists.

Training sessions at the practical centre have been designed for students from the ages of 16-18 and adults already in work.

Matt Cappell, director of construction and technologies at Buckinghamshire College Group said: "Having this facility built at Buckinghamshire College Group is a fantastic opportunity. It demonstrates our commitment to being at the forefront of developing a greener curriculum and helping local stakeholders improve their businesses to be more environmentally friendly. The facility will enhance current learners' courses with additional training, offer supplementary qualifications to apprentices, and provide existing renewables engineers with opportunities to stay updated with industry advancements. It will also help local plumbing and gas engineers upskill to become renewables engineers. I want to thank Quantum and Daikin for supporting the College with the installation."

Iain Bevan, new business director - residential at Daikin added: “The government has a target to install 600,000 heat pumps by 2028. Demand has already increased in the last few years and there are simply not enough qualified installers to fit heat pumps in people's homes. The training offered at Buckinghamshire College Group is essential for upskilling the workforce, future-proofing careers and decarbonising homes on the UK’s path to net zero.”